The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that excess weight is a national problem with approximately thirty-percent of U.S. citizens over weight. He has also stated that excess weight is likely to soon replace cigarette smoking as the leading cause of preventable premature death. Additional information released by the American Obesity Association also indicates the problem will become even more intense in the future. In 1978, 5% of children ages 12 to 19 were obese. In 2000 15.5% of children 12 to 19 were obese.
As a result of the above situation, there are many commercial and non-profit groups with efforts directed toward weight loss. These groups often meet for demonstrations and discussions on dieting and exercise with an eye toward losing weight. Some participants have difficulty separating the emotional and psychological aspects of weight control from the physical aspects of weight control.